Sognefjord – Simply Stunning!

While Mark is soaking in the bath I can collect my thoughts and roll back the camera to relive our time in the small town of Balestrand where we stayed for 3 nights.

First sighting of Sognefjord

Sometimes you have to climb for the best view

Ferry to Balestrand

Balestrand is on Sognefjord (Norway’s largest fjord).  It’s accessible by road and a small ferry.  It gets one car ferry per day which docks early to pick up the locals and take them to work on the other side.  We took this ‘secret ferry’ at 7.30am but more on this later.

One of the beautiful homes in Balestrand

St Olaf's Anglican Church.  Anglican ???

Our first day in Balestrand, Mark and I took up the challenge to walk the rugged path up to an observation point - Burasi at 575m high (Balestrand is at sea level).  Metres don’t mean a whole lot to me either but it was a daunting prospect for a non-hiker.  Kitty and Graeme assured us that it was easy peasy.  When I saw a group of toddlers and their crèche minders taking them on a similar path I was delighted.  It wasn’t long before they were seated in a little picnic area near the bottom and we were left to do the climb.

View from where we left the creche kids

The cooler weather was in our favour because once you start hiking, you heat up and start to remove the layers.  The higher we walked the muddier and rougher the path became but I was determined to get through the mud.  Mark motivated me and carried my jackets, back pack and camera but he wouldn’t carry me.  Where was Sir W Raleigh when he’s called for!?!

Our trekking guides

There were a couple of other walkers but as we got higher, there were just the odd one or two.  Like one not so young woman happily running down and she raised a smile, or was that a snigger, to us.  About 10 minutes later her husband (it turns out) was “running” up the hill.  He is 67 and said this climb is his daily medicine - it takes him 21 minutes.  We had been walking already for an hour and still had not reached our goal but he does mountain running for a sport, so face was saved. 

By this stage, we had reached the snow line.  Snow was not part of my contract with Mark.  Nevertheless onward we marched until we spotted shovels and snow shoes and knew this may be the end point.  The sign said, Klukkshaug 489 metres.  I was pretty much exhausted at this level and didn’t fancy walking knee deep in snow just to get the last 80m.  So we clinked plastic bottles and went back down.  Running man turned up shortly after with shovel in hand saying it was to dig out the signage – even he stopped at the deep snow point.

Proof we made it

The view was worth the climb

I was very motivated going up the hill but going down was not an enjoyable prospect.  It’s hard on the knees, hunger was taking over and all I wanted was a chair lift …………. Again Mark started with the positive motivational talk and a few jokes thrown in - now this walk will definitely cover 20,000 steps that Scott BW aims for.

Hard road down

Then into town for a bowl of hot thick fish soup to fill up our stomachs and a quieter afternoon around town.

Back at the hotel, the owners were telling us that they mostly get Americans, British and German tourists but while we were in the common area, we could hear the ‘Strine’ – 2 couples from Boroondara and 1 from Adelaide.  The Boroondara boys were both Ken and one of ladies was a Barbie.  I kid you not.  They were all off to dinner but we were off to bed as we had an early start the next day so goodnight Ken and Barbie.

We wanted to get to the other side of Sognefjord to go up the Flåm railway – 20km of zig-zag track going up more than 1000m to Myrdal.  The only way we could get there was by car and ferry.  The train trip is a major tourist attraction and was interesting but the real highlight was getting there.

We caught the ‘secret ferry’ (it’s called the secret ferry because it’s intended for the locals), then an hour’s drive to Kaupanger to catch another car ferry to Gudvangen.  This took 2¾ hrs through some of the most beautiful parts of Sognefjord.

Gudvangen is at the end of the very narrow, Unesco-listed, Nærøyfjord, - an offshoot from Sognefjord, with 1000m cliffs along the shore.  

bad hair day

Then to Flåm by car and catch the train.

Stopping at the station on Flåm railway

Checking no one's jumped

Getting back to Balestrand was also interesting as we drove through a 25km long tunnel like something out of a sci-fi or a James Bond scene.  The Norwegian tunnels are phenomenal but you can’t stop to take photographs.

Stave church at Kaupanger on the way back

I have to mention a new knitting buddy Uni-Marie a lovely Norwegian woman and her American husband who run the hotel where we stayed.  U-M took a fancy to my Nanna Rae socks and there were deep discussions on the topic of knitting.  She soon became our new best friend.  It was interesting to stay in her hotel as her family was clearly big wigs in town and we learned that her father saved the enormous and grand old hotel from demolition and as you see from the photo it would have been some loss.  U-M also helped us plan our tour around the region.

Kvikne's hotel saved from demolition

Kvikne's - new section added in the 70's

On a more practical matter; at the start of our Norway trip we’d often work out the cost of the ferry, a meal, entrance fees etc and quickly learned that ‘don’t ask’ was the pragmatic response.  Things are expensive and there is no alternative unless you want to lose a dramatic amount of weight or swim.  One young ferry ticket collector was seriously apologetic and he took pity on us but happily took our money.   

This brings me to the sweet nature of the Norwegians.  They are incredibly nice and one person in Balestrand commented that they ‘welcomed 10 refugee families’ recently.  Some of the places we visit, Norwegians are also holidaying and they are often chatty and helpful. 

Even the bikies are polite and wait their turn

Mark commented (in his usual manner) that there are very few obese Norwegians – either they can’t afford to eat their own food or they are more active.  Let’s go with the latter.  He’s also thankful on how polite the drivers are on the roads a blessing after 1000 km of the road trip.